Re Triumph or Die
by Light Corliss
Summary: Kazuto Kirigaya is a prisoner of war. Captured during the invasion of his home country, the Emperor of the Aincrad Empire forces him to compete in the Arena for the right to even live. In order to keep going the boy must cast aside his life, his name, and even his humanity. There are only two options here. Triumph, or Die.
1. Chapter 1

Dreams are a funny thing. Kazuto remembered in one that such a thing was simply scattered memories and desires melded into one. In that darkness he had been thrown into, all he could do was dream. He dreamed of his father going off to war and never returning. He dreamed of his mother succumbing to sickness. He dreamed of his aunt and uncle having to care for him along with his cousin Suguha. He dreamed of the questions he had pondered on the day everything had gone so wrong.

A lance of fire burned through his dreams. Light ripped him from sleep. Hands dragged him from the darkness. Kazuto's eyes opened to a poorly lit stone hall lined with barred off cells. As his ears reconnected to his brain the jeers of others in them reached his consciousness. What they were saying made little sense to him. Something about wanting their turn and how he wouldn't last a minute.

 _Ah, I want to go back to sleep_ , he thought with a groan. Hollow exhaustion had encompassed the whole of him. It was as if something had happened to his body in the haze of memory before the dark that left him entirely drained of life. No matter how hard he tried, though, what had been in his dreams wouldn't come.

"C'mon kid, get up." The gruff male voice rattled Kazuto's shaky sense of hearing. He had been placed into a chair by whoever had been dragging him along in the short time his mind had wandered. The white Witch-light stuck in the lantern hanging from the ceiling blinded him to all but the outline of the man. He made out the shape of the head before the figure leaned away to leave nothing but bright light. Then a rush of sensation as cold water brought him fully back to the material world.

"There you go. Rise and shine kiddo. There's a meal, a wash bucket, and fresh set of clothes on the table. Get eating, get changed, then get me when you're done." Kazuto's eyes met the gruff owner of the gruff voice. A dark skinned man; bald with a beard and dressed in half armor like a soldier. A maul was kept on his belt, although with the man's size Kazuto felt he barely needed a weapon to fight.

"W-why am I out?" It was the only question that came to the boy's mind so he choked it out of a sore throat. The soldier shrugged in response on his way out.

"Someone powerful wanted to see the little foreign boy we brought in. Lucky you, I guess. Now get to it." The conversation was ended there by the opening and closing of a door to Kazuto's left. With a glance over at the table he could see all the things the soldier had promised there. A plate of salted meat, some bread, and a single potato was what grabbed Kazuto's attention fully though. Rather, it alerted his stomach to its own kind of emptiness. It was promptly filled to allow him to pay mind to the other items.

Kazuto didn't need to, but took a look down at himself to realize the need for the wash bucket. His clothes were in tatters and he had enough filth clinging to his skin to impress a pig. Stripping down, he used the warm, soapy water to make himself feel better. Finally came the clothing. A simple woven shirt with shorter sleeves, pants to match, and a pair of boots made from astonishingly new leather. There was even a fresh pair of underwear and socks that he gratefully accepted.

Freshly dressed, full, and clean for the first time in what felt like weeks his mind started to work properly again. He began taking in details about the room despite how sparse it was. A stone box with the table that had carried his gifts and the chair he was sitting in. There were two doors, one to his left and one to his right. Kazuto stood with some effort to go over to the right door first. It was an exercise in learning; what his legs could and couldn't take was something he wasn't used to having to guess at. By the time he had reached the door his feet were more solidly under him for a good pull on the metal ring serving as a handle. Not even so much as a flinch from the impassive slab of wood.

"Couldn't be that easy," he muttered in a sigh. Options went through his head one after another but all came out the same. Without that soldier he wasn't going anywhere. Bracing himself, Kazuto walked slowly over to the opposite door and knocked. It didn't take long for the soldier to open it up to see what was going on.

"Didn't expect you to be walking with how I had to drag you in here." There was a genuine surprise in the statement as the soldier shepherded Kazuto out of the room and into a hallway lit by more Witch-lights.

"Makes two of us," he replied without thinking about the soldier's disposition. An instinct told him to ready for a blow, however the soldier seemed unphased by the remark. In fact the life Kazuto was expressing in spite of whatever hell he had been in was apparently enough to get the man to chuckle.

"Got the hardiness of a soldier and the wit of a whip it seems. Might just save you." The soldier motioned for him to follow as he started off down the hall. Not left with much of a choice, Kazuto complied. The two continued in relative silence as the boy judged if he could ask the man any of the questions burning in his head. After figuring he could take a harsh rebuke, words or otherwise, Kazuto opened his mouth to speak.

"What did you mean before? That someone powerful wanted to... see me?"

"You're not going to be some perverted nobleman's slave or anything like that. From what my commander told me, actually, it seemed like the Emperor himself called for you." This lit up several danger signs in Kazuto's head. An emperor wanted him? Of all people he wanted to see an orphaned farmhand? Not only did it not make any sense, but it made him shudder at what the soldier had implied with his first sentence.

"Guess I am pretty lucky," was what Kazuto came up with. All he got in response was a chuckle.

The two continued on in silence from then on. A cold feeling crept up Kazuto's back as they went along. At the end of the hallway they ascended a long set of stairs to a door similar to the ones in the room earlier. Beyond it, however, was a different kind of hall. The real sunlight streaming through the windows to his left provided the kiss of late summer to Kazuto's chilled skin. Even though the natural light made his eyes ache, it felt good to be above ground again.

"C'mon. Little further now." The soldier started off without any other warning. It took a soft jog that sent the boy's head spinning slightly to catch back up. More silence allowed Kazuto to study the grand halls they walked through. A red rug was underneath them no matter where they walked. Paintings of different royal-looking people were scattered over the walls periodically between sets of armor. They even passed a few soldiers, a few dressed the same as the large one escorting him and a few with even fancier armor. Eventually they came upon a massive set of doors with a dragon engraved into the nearly black wood. Kazuto couldn't help but notice that the wyrm was coiled around a sword. The image stirred something in him that was interrupted by the soldier's sandpaper voice.

"Here we are. You're on your own from here kid. The Royal Guard are handling you now." Panic suddenly rose in his chest. Kazuto needed to stall this, he wasn't ready. Not to meet an emperor, not to walk away from the only other person he had interacted with in too long, and most certainly not to be alone again.

"What's your name?" It was the first thing Kazuto could blurt out. The soldier looked at him dumbfounded for a long moment before laughing.

"You know what kid, make it through without losing your head and I'll tell you the next time we meet." The soldier, still nameless, offered a wave as he walked away. Those fleeting words with their implied promise had surprisingly helped. Given Kazuto something to latch onto for strength.

As the doors began to shift open he clenched his hands into fists, grit his teeth, and set his gaze as sharp as he could manage. Against the grinding feeling in his chest he walked into the throne room entirely alone.

* * *

 **Hey, did I promise or did I promise? The first in hopefully the complete series of the reiteration of Triumph or Die. This time I'm going to be doing my best to make sure there are as few mistakes as possible in the writing, as well as the consistency of the storytelling. I'll do my best to make everything clearer, explain plot points more, and pace everything nicely for those who like meaningful updates. I hope this satisfies everyone who had been waiting for the next update to the original.**


	2. Chapter 2

The air in the long throne room burned Kazuto right to his core. Each breath became a wildfire in his lungs that exited a winter's blizzard against his lips. The conviction he had begun to waver in the face of such a feeling. Whether magic or simply fear, Kazuto couldn't tell. All he could do was approach the throne defiantly.

"Well now. I wasn't expecting such a... fortified state from you. Nor such a calm one." The man sitting in the throne spoke to Kazuto when the boy was close enough. There was a look of genuine interest in the gaze of those light grey eyes that gave Kazuto a little hope he wouldn't be immediately executed.

"As I hope you've been told, child, I am the Emperor of Aincrad. You may know me by my name, however. Heathcliff." The Emperor rose from his throne with calculated, slow grace instead of blue-blood lethargy. "I shall not waste your time since you seem to be quiet cooperative. You have been brought before me because I was told that you could be of use to my interests. Today's events shall reveal to what extent." In that moment Kazuto was dumbfounded by two things. The first was Heathcliff's words. The second was that he could be more intimidating that the fully armed soldiers flanking his throne while saying them.

"Bring it here," ordered Heathcliff of one of his attendants off to Kazuto's left. A young Elvish butler quickly came over carrying something covered in a heavy layer of cloth. The butler appeared to be struggling to lift it to the Emperor's hand that took it from him.

"A gift. So that you might not die." Heathcliff threw the bundle at Kazuto suddenly. The boy caught it with a soft grunt as the weight settled in his arms.

"What... am I going to be doing with this?" The question came less voluntarily than Kazuto would have liked. A flinch had caused the words to be more shaken out than spoken by the time he had finished.

"Provide him with leathers and bring him to the arena. I believe we will all have a bit of entertainment today." Heathcliff turned back to his throne without answering Kazuto's question. A stoic soldier grabbed him by the arm to lead him right out of the throne room before he could start speaking again. Once they were outside the soldier glared hard before starting off opposite the way Kazuto had come from. The meaning was clear enough so the boy followed along without hesitating.

After a couple minutes of the same regal hallways blending together they arrived at another set of stairs. The soldier's hand nudged Kazuto forward first so that's what he did. The stone staircase was once again lit by Witchlight lanterns at regular intervals, giving the stones a green sheen to them. It all threw off Kazuto's ability to keep track of where they had been going. Too many things looked the same and his fear was causing him to stare straight ahead. Thanks to that he was the first to see the bottom of the stairs and another heavy wooden door.

"The Elf child should've gotten you your leathers. Go in and get 'em on." The indistinct voice of the soldier made Kazuto flinch. The silence down in this place was more deafening than he remembered.

He didn't argue about going in though. The door opened and inside was another bland wooden table with a set of leather armor on it. Kazuto put the bundle onto the table to inspect the armor. There wasn't anything fancy about it so he figured he could get it on. His father had shown him a very long time ago how to do it so the basics were in his mind. With some struggle he was able to get on the chest-piece, bracers, and shin guards. The thickness of the armor was probably enough to stop light slashes or pokes, but nothing more than that.

"An arena and armor. The only thing left is... that." Kazuto's attention turned to the bundle. His heart raced as he opened the heavy cloth to reveal a sword. The handle and guard were both black as pitch even in the dimly lit room. It was a strange looking thing too; the guard consisted of a length of black metal slightly longer than quarter-circle with two spikes mounted on top and a third poking out from the longer side of the guard. It became stranger still when he could not draw the weapon from the sheath.

"C'mon... what good's a sword... if I can't... use it?!" It was everything he could do to even keep any hold on it as he tried to pull the blade out. Several attempts and grasping methods later he gave up.

"Quite a currriosity that sword. Even the Emperrrorrr can't draw it." The voice, soft yet scarred, made Kazuto jump. He looked back to see the same Elf that had been in the throne room. On closer inspection Kazuto wasn't sure of the Elf's gender. The slender frame and what he thought might be feminine features were offset by the boyish face and way their blonde hair was cut. What made him do a real double take were the triangular animal ears sitting atop the Elf's head that hadn't been there before.

"Ah, a currriosity yourrrself, aren't you? I'm not an Elf like the soldierrr said. I'm a Cait Sith. We're both apart of the Fae rrrace so the mix up is underrrstandable." The Cait Sith gave Kazuto a smile. "My name is Arrrgo. I'm the Emperrrorrr's perrrsonal assistant."

"Um... why're you talking like that?" It was a stupid question but he led with it since it gave him a route to ask more.

"We Cait Sith have different vocal corrrds that vibrrrate longerrr on softerrr rrr sounds in yourrr language," Argo explained. Kazuto understood, sort of, as it sounded similar to a cat purring. After a moment of silence between the two the Cait Sith's presence became easy to stand. With the settling of his fears Kazuto felt the need to get to the point.

"Argo, uh, why did the Emperor give me all this stuff? New clothes, armor... a sword? I'm just a farmer's kid."

"The Emperrrorrr is currrious about you. Something you did to his soldierrrs aparrrently." That struck Kazuto as odd. Something that he had done to the soldiers? What could he have done to catch the attention of an Emperor? He tried to answer this himself but the memories before his capture were a void in his mind that gave nothing.

"Well, it seems ourrr time is at an end. Prrroceed out that doorrr and keep going strrraight." Argo's words drew Kazuto's attention to the door behind him. In the time they had been speaking pulled away to show a long hallway of stone once again stained green by Witchlight. When Kazuto turned to ask Argo what was waiting for him at the end of the hall the Cait Sith was gone as suddenly as he appeared.

"What a weird guy," Kazuto muttered on his way out. He had grabbed the sword and held it in his left hand while walking. Holding the weapon gave him a sense security that he didn't have the time to question. Nor the will to. He needed it.

As the hallway came to a set of stairs more worry crept into his heart. While faint he could hear the sounds of other people above. The three words he had said earlier kept pushing through his mind. Arena, armor, sword. Arena, armor, sword. Arena. Armor. Sword. Each repeat punctured him as the sounds got louder. Eventually he could tell it was cheering, and that one voice came above the crowd by a phenomenal amount.

"General Eugene has crushed all who has stood before him in the contest of swords and strength. Who could dare hope to challenge such a mighty warrior in a one on one confrontation?!" Kazuto stopped dead at the top of the stairs. His eyes had gone wide and in shock he had nearly tumbled back down the stairs. Arena. Armor. Sword. Fighting. Defending. Attacking. All ending in one eventuality.

Death.

"So, you made it out of the throne room. Tough luck where you ended up though." The familiar gruff voice dragged Kazuto back from the brink of insanity. He looked up to see the dark-skinned soldier from before sitting on a bench. Behind him was a gate that had fading daylight streaming in through the square holes in the metal.

"I... guess so, yeah," was all the boy could reply with.

"At least you've got something to defend yourself with. Usually His Majesty sends newbies in here with their bare hands. Those are always the worst." The soldier shook his head while frowning. "Shame that it's Eugene you're fighting. He hasn't even come close to losing since we brought him in. Used to be the general of an country that Aincrad took over about a year ago. He was the fiercest opponent our Emperor had ever faced."

"That doesn't make me feel better," Kazuto groaned as he tried to hold down the meal he had eaten before.

"Hey, hey, he might take it easier on a kid. I hope." The soldier shook his head before standing. "I'm not here to give you a pep talk. I made you a promise to tell you my name if you got out of the throne room. It's Agil." Agil the Soldier stuck out his right hand for a shake as the gate began to open. Kazuto shook Agil's hand but also shook his head.

"I don't think it matters what my name is now. Might as well call me Dead." Kazuto let go of the hand, a grim smile on his face. It wasn't confidence. He merely remembered words his mother had once spoke to him.

 _"If you keep trying to smile then the hard times seem less hard."_

* * *

 **This was delayed by two weeks worth of rewrites and the fear of losing my internet before it could go up. Thankfully I finished today, my bills got paid, and nothing's going to be fearful for another month. Yay! Next time is gonna be a big one so expect another longer wait time. I'll try to get something up every 2 weeks at the least so be patient with me. Lots of thought goes into these. Till next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

Stepping out into the arena was blinding. Kazuto hadn't seen or felt the full might of the sun in so long that it almost caused him to stagger for the first few steps. Slowly his body adjusted and brought everything back into focus. While not full the stands of the coliseum were buzzing with activity as people foreign to Kazuto shouted, ate, and made merry at their day of entertainment. His gaze shifted toward his executioner as the announcer began speaking again.

"It seems our mighty Emperor has found fit to end today's matches with a quick one! This newcomer certainly doesn't look ready for the terrifying general who held even Aincrad's elite soldiers are bay!" The words didn't help draw a more comforting picture than Kazuto was already seeing. Opposite him in the arena was a tall, tanned man whose scarred body spoke of hardships. Athletic wasn't the right word. Even with only his very basic grasp of martial skills, Kazuto could tell he was looking at a real warrior.

"Boy," barked the imposing figure of Eugene as the announcer began to rally the crowd for the start of the match, "I am sorry for what is to come. I will do my best to make it quick." At that, the former general reached for the sword at his hip. The blade shone crimson as it was leveled at Kazuto in warning with a two-handed grip.

"It seems that our Unmatched General is ready to go at it! Sorry newbie, but in this arena, there are only two ways out. Say it with me now," there was a pause as the announcer let everyone draw a collective breath, "triumph or die!" The three words roared from the people as Eugene began running at Kazuto. The boy's eyes went wide as he scrambled to get a grip on his still-sheathed weapon in time for a defense.

The impact of Eugene's opening slash against Kazuto's defense shook the boy's weakened arms to the bone. It had been meant to deliver a quick kill; a slash that more than likely would have taken Kazuto's head if he hadn't managed to knock his attacker's blade off-course. Eugene even seemed surprised, and the crowd surged as Kazuto stumbled back a few steps to put distance between them. The sheathed sword he had used to defend himself was raised unsteadily in the boy's trembling arms.

"I don't want to die," he muttered through clenched teeth as he readied himself. "Not like this. Not for some crazy emperor's sport."

"I can respect that sentiment young man. If that is the case, then fight me with all you are worth." Eugene once again readied himself. This time he appeared more poised and prepared as if dealing with an actual opponent rather than an inexperienced child. Despite the warrior's caution, Kazuto wasn't confident that he could put up much of a fight. His father had taught him the very basics of defending himself when he was barely ten years old. Not only was his non-existent experience in combat a problem, but he was also stuck with a sword he couldn't draw. All of it pointed to Kazuto's death in the next few minutes.

In spite of it all, he swung at Eugene first. A two-handed slash at the man's left hip was easily blocked by a slight adjustment of the man's blade. This was followed by Eugene stepping back and thrusting his weapon forward to dissuade Kazuto from pursuing. In an instant the retreating motion became an offensive one; Eugene's longer blade was used to pressure Kazuto's defense without much fear of retaliation. Kazuto managed to keep Eugene's blade from doing too much damage. It was clear that the younger swordsman wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer, however. Small cuts became gashes along his arms or legs. Whatever defiant strength had kept Kazuto going despite his weakened state faded fast once he started losing blood. When he spotted an opening, Eugene concluded his assault with a heavy slash across the young man's stomach.

A soft cry and two thuds were all that denoted the end of the engagement. Kazuto had dropped his black-handled sword upon receiving the grievous wound shortly before falling to his knees. His vision was a slurred mess and even his ears rang as his very life escaped from the opening in his stomach. Soon the heat of the sun melted away into a cold that almost brought with it a sense of peace. The slamming rhythm of his heart slowed and his breath slipped from between his lips. As the edges of Kazuto's vision darkened he couldn't find it in himself to fight it.

But the darkness started to give way. Flashes of memory began to play in his mind from his early childhood. His father's warm embrace on the day he left for the war, his mother's sobs as she was given the news of his death on the front lines, and Kazuto's weeping when his mother passed not a year later from sickness. His aunt and uncle's faces as they smiled at him the first day he arrived at their home. His little cousin Suguha comforting him after his various nightmares on those early nights.

At the image of his cousin, Kazuto's mind began to speed up again. The void in his head screamed as Suguha's memory forced it to reveal the secrets it held. His eyes opened again as the memories returned.

* * *

It had been a rather quaint harvest season in the village Kazuto lived in. Despite the war going on, they were far enough away from the front that the worries of being raided by the Aincradian armies were low. As such the people were left to tend to their crops in peace and live their lives as they saw fit. Kazuto's family did just this on the day things had gone so wrong.

Kazuto himself had finished helping his uncle with the last of the harvest before the yearly festival later that week. Per the request of his aunt, he had taken Suguha down to the river to help her carry water back home for the family. He had gone with her but had decided to cool off while he was there. He had opted to stand in the shallows in his underwear while using the bucket they had brought to pour water over himself.

"You shouldn't play in the village river," Suguha chided him while Kazuto shook his hair out.

"It isn't hurting anyone," he retorted while splashing a bit of water toward her. She squealed at the sudden splash and narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're very lucky I'm in this dress or I would get you." The threat was met with deaf ears as he splashed her even harder. Instead of just grazing her this time, Kazuto had aimed poorly and hit her directly. There was a long moment of silence as Suguha's face began to darken a shade. Kazuto, on the other hand, looked about ready to burst with laughter. That ended when she suddenly dove at him and ended up sending them both underwater. Kazuto managed to push himself into a sitting position with Suguha pouting at him on his lap.

"Now you're soaked, dummy," Kazuto teased. She said nothing and sent an armful of water into his face. After a few more good hits he was left to cough and sputter while thinking about his mistakes.

"We'll have to stay for a bit while I dry out. Come on, get up." Kazuto opened his eyes to see Suguha's hand in his face; she was offering to help him up despite still looking pouty. He smiled and took her hand, allowing himself to be dragged to his feet. Once out of the water the two fell onto the river bank to dry out in the sun.

"Feel better now," Kazuto inquired after several minutes of silence. He moved his eyes away from the fluff-filled sky to look at his cousin. There was an unfamiliar frown on her face as she looked into that same sky.

"I do, yeah," she finally replied before turning to face him. "Thanks. I guess that I wasn't as good at hiding it as I thought." Kazuto gave a sympathetic smile to his cousin. He couldn't blame her for feeling stressed out. A week ago, her parents had announced that the local lord had asked for her hand. While she wasn't of age just yet, only being fourteen years old, her birthday would occur soon after the harvest festival's end. Suguha's future was currently up in the air despite her parents' attempts at reassuring her.

"I'm sure that they'll turn him down. There's plenty of other girls in the village that Lord Nagata can marry. He'll get over you." Kazuto saw his opportunity and decided it couldn't be passed up. "Besides, you wouldn't be a good noble. You get mad so easily you'd probably start scaring him. Not to mention you can't sit still. You'd probably do all the work for the servants you'd be so bored trying to sip tea all day." Suguha looked at her cousin with a mixture of surprise and barely withheld annoyance. The staring contest held for a few more seconds before they both burst into laughter.

"You suck," she replied through giggles.

"I can't help it. It's too easy sometimes." He grinned and slipped his hands behind his head. Comfortable silence set in on the two as time passed by. Kazuto closed his eyes and at some point, he heard Suguha shifting around. He cracked an eye to see her laying on her stomach with her own eyes closed. The front of her dress looked relatively dry, so he guessed that he was trying to get her back before they left. He figured that she would wake him when she wanted to start walking back.

Kazuto closed his eye and relaxed further into the soft ground beneath him. The moment was peaceful and easy. The worries that both of them faced seemed far away from this quiet evening. The air was cool as day gave way to night. Kazuto would have preferred to remain there for a while longer.

That thought was interrupted by the rumble of hoofbeats off in the distance.

* * *

The arena had gone silent. Even the announcer, who had been narrating the confrontation, was speechless at what had just happened. In one fluid motion, Kazuto had taken up the black sword again. The sheathe had fallen away with ease and the dark metal had been thrust forward with a hoarse roar. Eugene's arms fell from their raised position and he dropped his sword as he stared down at himself.

From his chest protruded the blade that Kazuto had received from Emperor Heathcliff. Crimson spilled from the wound and to the ground with each struggling pump of the general's heart. He opened his mouth to speak but only coughed forth more blood as his lungs were choked with it. The last thing the famed warrior saw as the life drained away from his body were the eyes of this nameless teenaged boy. Wide with hatred, filled with determination, and shimmering gold where they were once nearly black.

Eugene fell to his knees as he faded away, only kept from collapsing entirely by the sword that had run him through. Kazuto slowly pulled it from him and allowed the warrior to rest as he turned his eyes upward. Slowly those golden orbs scanned the crowds for who he _knew_ was watching. When they found the Emperor they locked in place. Slowly Kazuto's body took a step forward. His frame turned to face the grey-haired man's position as he took more shambling steps toward the man. Each one caused the wound in his stomach to spill more blood onto the ground; it left a trail of gore behind him as he went.

Despite whatever force was driving him Kazuto could take no more. After the sixteenth step, the golden glow faded from his eyes and he collapsed to the ground. Alive, but barely so.

"Gather him up and take him to the healer's ward," said the Emperor to Argo as he stared down at the display. "I'm not done with him."

* * *

 **Two years. Two years later and I ended up writing another chapter in a moment of passion. I'll be honest, a lot of mental health issues have kept me from going after my dream of writing for a long time. But seeing something that I've left unfinished has put frustration in me and motivated me to at least make some updates. I want to finish this. While it might be infrequent, I will finish this. So for anyone who ended up liking this please give me your feedback and I'll do my best to stick to it this time.**


End file.
